The Stars and The Sea
by PuertoRicanBelle
Summary: (revised!) Two years following Moana restoring the Heart of Te Fiti, Moana is chief and has returned to Motonui after voyaging with her family. Upon coming home, she begins receiving dreams from the goddess of the stars, sending her on a journey to reunite a broken family, while also unexpectedly finding love on the way.
1. Chapter 1

Almost two years had passed since Moana and Maui had restored the Heart of Te Fiti, and Moana had spent most of that time since then voyaging with her family. But now they had sailed back to Motonui.

Moana had done a lot of maturing in that time, she'd grown into a fine young woman. Having become chief of her people now, she had a new inner strength in her, with her parent's guidance, she was doing wonderfully.

Being back home was a weird but good feeling, it'd been quite a while since she'd stepped foot onto her island, but she relished is seeing the village still flourishing.

Her cousin Pania had been her right-hand girl during their voyages, and she remained so. The cousins had grown closer and were best friends.

And of course, Maui was there for every voyage, with them at every new village they found, and they created new trading ties.

But despite all the positive changes that had followed Moana, she still couldn't help but feel that her adventures were incomplete, she felt a new kind of pull towards the sea every time she looked that way. It annoyed her, but this time she genuinely tried to ignore it.

"It's nothing… it's just the remaining thrill," She kept telling herself.

She carried on, assisting her people in whatever they needed help with. Her father was growing old, and Moana became diligently aware that his time here was fading. While at a council meeting, this was brought up.

"I know that…" Moana groaned in the newest reminder.

"Moana, you've lead our people with strength, wisdom, and kindness, and you've done it well, but perhaps you should start considering on looking for a partner." Moana raised an uninterested eyebrow.

"Do I need to?" There was an awkward pause.

"No… but, we feel that you ought to consider it, after all, those new villages you met with during your voyages, surely there are heirs to those villages, are there not?"

"Of course there are, but I felt no interest in any of them. They were nice, but not my types. I'm not even 18 yet!" With a huff of annoyance, Moana stood and left the meeting.

Now to say she didn't want to eventually fall in love was a lie, she wanted to meet someone, but all the boys her age she'd known, grown up with, and met, were not her type and didn't have a lot in common, and gods forbid she was not going to have a political marriage, absolutely not.

She made her way to an isolated beach to watch the sunset, wanting to be alone to think. She heard the flapping of wings and looked up to see Maui. He detransformed and landed in the sand beside her. He stuck his hook into the sand.

"What's with the long face, Curly?" He asked. Moana rolled her eyes at his nickname for her.

"Just a little annoyed, it'll pass." She replied.

"Annoyed about what?"

"Chiefly things."

"What kinds of chiefly things?"

"Getting married." Maui made a mocking kissy face at her, earning a shove in the face.

"Stop that! Look, I'm just, I don't know if I'm ready, plus I haven't met any guys that I'm interested in, plus most of them are just not my type."

"What is your type then?" Moana paused, she actually wasn't sure. Definitely not someone macho or whatever. She frowned as she thought about it.

"I… honestly have no idea. I've never really had to think about it, y'know?" Maui nodded.

"I get it. Well, you never know, it'll surprise you."

"Oh yeah, you're sure?"

"Very! I could even ask the gods to bestow a man for you!" He joked, Moana put her hands up and made a face.

"Haha, no, don't do that." Maui laughed.

"Ah I'm just messing with you, but seriously, you'll find someone eventually." With that, Maui left, leaving Moana to her thoughts.

"Yeah, that's not what I'm worried about." She mumbled to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

The night was cool and quiet, Moana and her parents were settled down in their fale for the night, all three sound asleep. The only sounds were that of nocturnal creatures, lizards skittering on the ground and up and around other fales and buildings.

Moana did not have a dreamless sleep, in fact, she was having one right now.

_A luminous white figure was saying something to her, but she couldn't make out what it was saying, it was female. She wore a long flowing white dress, and her tattoos and eyes were white. A stark contrast to her dark skin. In her hands, the stars twinkled, and they were telling Moana a story._

_A broken family, all torn apart in different ways. The father drowned, the boy was thrown off a boat, the mother dying of a sickness in the mind, and the girl living in a foreign village unsure of where to go or what to do._

_Dream Moana felt deeply for the family. But the focus of the dream remained on the boy. There were no features, but she could tell he needed help, he was all alone, and he could die…_

"_Save him…" The figure whispered._

Moana jerked awake at the dream ending. She had no idea what to make of that, was it a message from the future? It was definitely a message of some kind… Needing to clear her head, Moana got up, wrapping her blanket tightly around her as she made her way through the village.

"What troubles you?" A familiar voice came. Moana didn't need to look to know who it was. Tala smiled at her granddaughter.

"Just… had a weird dream, that's all."

"Would you like to talk about it?" Tala inquired. Moana shrugged.

"I dunno, just… this woman dressed in white, with white tattoos and eyes used the stars to tell me about a broken family, and that the boy needed help or somethin'. It was weird, but I felt sorry for the boy, despite having no idea who he is or anything."

"That woman in white is the Goddess of the Stars, her name is Fetia."

"No way, really? A goddess spoke to me in a dream?"

"It seems so."

"Why me though?"

"Well, you were the Chosen one, restore the Heart of Te Fiti after all. Maybe your destiny is incomplete." Moana shook her head and made her way to the shore to watch the sunrise.

"But my life is complete, I restored the heart, I'm chief, I've taught my people how to wayfind, I've been to other villages, what more in my-" Moana stopped.

"I swear…" She sighed. Tala looked at her confused.

"What is it?"

"In the council meeting yesterday, they were discussing that I should start considering on courting soon. And then Maui joked about having the gods bestow a man for me. It was really weird." Tala raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps it's a coincidence?"

"With Maui, nothing is ever a coincidence."

"Don't overthink it, Moana. Perhaps there really is just a boy who needs to be saved, and you're the one to do it, that has nothing to do with you getting married." Moana bit her lip in thought.

"I guess…" Moana took Tala's advice and tried not to overthink the dream, she even told her mother about it, who agreed to not overthink it.

"Don't worry about finding someone Moana, you're still young, you don't need to get married now, you know that right? I didn't marry your father until my mid 20's, and you weren't born for another three years." Moana knew that.

She shook off the dream, just the gods messing with her, she told herself, and on top of that, she was still ignoring the new pull to the sea. That didn't mean she didn't lounge on a boat every once in a while.

But Moana had the same dream, over and over again, but with each time, the goddess would open up more about her connection to these people, it became more and more specific, finally, Moana had enough of it.

"Alright! I'll go!" She exclaimed, sitting up, startling her parents.

"Are you alright?" Sina asked. Moana nodded.

"I'm fine, but that darn dream, I need to make it stop, so I'm going to go and find this boy, whoever he might be."


	3. Chapter 3

**I personally love this chapter the most so far, just because of Keoni's introduction lol. Enjoy!**

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This time, Moana had her whole village to see her off on her newest adventure. With her final goodbyes, she opened the sail, and the winds pushed her forward. She looked back on Motonui and then turned to face the horizon. She was now feeling excitement for what was in store for her on this journey.

She began to think about the dream again and remembered a little detail; the stars she needed to follow in order to find her destination. She vividly remembered them, and once she found them in the sky, she measured the stars.

Three days passed, and soon an island peeked over the horizon, it was a new one, she somehow missed it on past voyages, and she wondered if this island had a village on it and if so, had it had recovered from the Darkness?

She docked her boat and looked around. No buildings in sight, though there was evidence of a village here. Stone foundations, scattered palm fronds, abandoned boats, and decaying traps and ropes.

"This can't be right, why would Fetia guide me to an abandoned island?" She asked herself. With the daylight fading, Moana quickly lit a torch and looked around. There didn't seem to be any evidence of life, with the exception of any animals that would be living here.

"Hello?" She called out, wandering into the overgrown village. Suddenly she spied one house that was clearly in better condition than the others. She walked forward to investigate, continuously glancing around for anything that might sneak up behind her. She didn't step inside, but there was evidence of someone living here.

"Hello, I mean no harm!" She called out again. She heard something behind her, and when she spun around, she came face to face with a boy, who was a bit of a mess to say the least. There'd clearly been an attempt to tame his hair, which was cut unevenly and ruffled up. His tunic was stained with dirt and was torn in some places.

He had a tattoo on his right bicep, and his dark brown eyes were glinting in her firelight. The two stared each other down, one holding a torch, the other a weapon that could cause damage.

"Don't make me use this!" They said in unison. This made them stop.

"Lower the club, I'm not going to hurt you," Moana said calmly, lowering her torch to show she wasn't a threat. Huffing slightly, the boy lowered his weapon and he gave her a once over.

"Who're you?" He demanded.

"I am Chief Moana of Motonui, I was sent by the Goddess of Stars, Fetia to find this island, and rescue a boy who needed my help." The boy blinked at her, processing her words.

"You were sent by a goddess?" Moana nodded.

"Yes, and what's your name? Is this your island?"

"I'm Keoni… and yeah, this is my home, or what's left of it…" He walked down an old pathway of the village, and Moana followed him.

"The Darkness swallowed my village, and we were forced to abandon everything," He looked around sadly as if recalling what it looked like when it was lively, "we tried to leave on what we had of boats, but a storm hit us… and I was knocked off the boat and sent right back here, and I've had to survive on my own ever since…"

"Oh… wow, I'm so sorry, that's awful…" With darkness falling, Keoni led her back to the home he'd built.

"You've sustained yourself all this time?" Moana asked as Keoni cooked them a meal over the fire.

"The best I can… I taught myself how to do a lot of things… hunt, fish, cook, all that stuff."

"I'm impressed, I couldn't imagine having to live alone for that long." He rubbed his face.

"I appreciate the sympathy."

"I mean it." Together the pair ate in silence, but after some time, Keoni spoke up.

"So… why'd the goddess of the stars send you all the way here?" Moana looked up.

"Oh, well, she kept giving me this dream for days, about a broken family, and that I needed to save the boy. Other than that, I have no idea. But… since she sent me to this island, I guess you're the boy I need to save." There was an awkward pause.

"I-I'm, flattered?" Keonin laughed awkwardly, "but… I'm also grateful… I haven't seen another person in so long, I thought I was going to die crazy."

"I won't let that happen, I'll take you back to my home island, and we can work on getting you back into the swing of village life, how does that sound?" Keoni grinned.

"That… sounds awesome!" Keoni became overwhelmed with the idea of being a part of a village again, and he already felt that he was going to eternally thank Moana for her offer.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Moana got up early to prepare her boat but was surprised to see Keoni up already, hauling fish traps out of the reef. The sun had just come into the sky, casting warm rays over the ocean.

"You're up early!" She exclaimed. Keoni looked over to her.

"Oh, heh yeah, I get up before sunrise every morning."

"And you've done this…"

"For three years now." Moana was stunned, but quite impressed. She glanced around and finally got a good look at what remained of Keoni's former village. The wooden posts of former homes were broken and decayed, and the palm fronds were scattered.

She grimaced and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly upon seeing what the damage really was.

As she packed her boat, she saw a figure approach, and Maui landed on the beach, startling Keoni, who fell onto his back.

"Maui! What're you doing here?" Moana exclaimed, hugging the Demi-God.

"Overheard about your little venture. Had to come along!" Keoni looked up at Maui in awe, and a little bit of fear. He already knew exactly who Maui was.

"Who's this guy?" Maui asked, gesturing to Keoni. Moana went over to help Keoni up as she introduced him.

"This is Keoni, the boy that Fetia told me to rescue." Maui raised an eyebrow and took a long glance at Keoni.

"Interesting. What else did Fetia tell you?" Moana bit her lip in thought.

"Yeah, last night she said that I had to bring Keoni's family back together, somehow." Both Keoni and Maui looked at her in surprise.

"There's no way that's happening," Keoni replied.

"Why not?"

"My father's dead, and I have no idea what happened to my mother and sister."

"Your dad's dead?"

"Yeah, he died when I was a baby. My mother would tell my sister and me that he drowned. I never knew him, but I guess my sister did. She's four years older than me."

"Well, if anything, I have faith that your mom and sister are still alive, and Maui and I will help you find them."

"W-really?" Moana nodded, her boat already ready to go. She held out her hand for him.

"Come on, we're gonna help you. And the ocean will too." Moana pulled Keoni up on board and he took a moment to say goodbye to his island for the last time.

"It… feels good, but it feels painful too." Moana placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know, but-" Keoni sighed. He watched the island disappear over the horizon, he'd loaded all of his personal belongings onto the boat, and it wasn't much. Extra clothes, his club, and some extra amenities. Meanwhile, Moana began thinking about that she'd rescued the boy Fetia told her to rescue, and now she had to bring the family back together.

She began to wonder what more Fetia was leaning towards. Maui had told her that gods loved to interfere with mortal lives...


	5. Chapter 5

"Maui!" Moana exclaimed upon seeing Maui's hawk form fly up to their boat in the dead of night. He de-transformed and landed, startling awake Keoni.

"W-wha-?!" He stumbled around as he stood, and grabbed his club ready to fight, pointing it at Maui, who was surprised by his reaction and lowered the tip of the club with his finger.

"Easy there, kid." Maui turned to Moana, "so where're you heading Curly?" Moana smiled and readjusted the sail.

"Heading east. Fetia gave me another dream, and Keoni has a faint memory of his family's boat heading east."

"Did your village ever have a destination in mind?" Maui asked Keoni, who frowned with uncertainty.

"Honestly, I would hope that they did, but I don't really remember a whole lot."

"What… exactly happened?" Moana asked softly, a question that received a look from Maui, but she ignored him. She was interested to learn more about the boy she'd be traveling with for a while. He was sweet and soft-spoken, but he was always ready to defend himself if needed. Plus, he knew how to be resourceful.

Keoni lay down on his back on the other side of the boat, watching the stars.

"I think… I was maybe 15 or 16, and the Darkness had pretty much taken over our home, nothing was growing, all our food was gone, and the fish had disappeared. Our chief ordered an exodus, everything had to either be destroyed or taken with us, and we took out our ancestors boats and left. Maybe, I dunno, 2 days in, a huge storm hit, and in process of trying to save my sister, I was thrown overboard by a huge wave. And when I woke up, I was shocked I was still alive, and I was all alone…" He sniffled, trying to suppress the bad memory.

Moana sympathized with him but didn't push him to continue.

As Moana focused on the stars again, she saw something strange. There was a shimmer, and then… clumps of stars just… vanished, right before her eyes. She rubbed her eyes, hoping she was just seeing things, but upon opening them again, groupings of stars were just gone.

"Uhhhh, Maui?"

"What's up?" She pointed at the sky.

"That." Maui's eyes widened.

"Oh boy… That's weird."

"What should we do?"

"Hope more don't disappear? That's gonna be a huge problem."

"But why would they disappear?" Moana asked, scratching her head.

"I have no idea, but I have a feeling this has something to do with Fetia."

"I agree…"

"Is everything okay, guys?" Keoni asked, sitting up. Moana pursed her lips, wondering if she should tell him.

"Oh, just wayfinding stuff, don't worry about it." She assured him with a smile. After getting him off that island, she didn't want to put any more stress on him. She now needed to figure out a plan B should the stars affect wayfinding. This was connected to Fetia in some way, but how?

Dawn broke, and Moana spied a small island poking up beyond the horizon. She beamed and woke up Maui and Keoni.

"Hey, I found us a place to rest. Wake up you two." She nudged them both awake and they helped her dock the boat and disembarked. The island was small, with small rocky cliffs dotted with caves and a huge reef. It was covered with thick foliage and a nice little beach.

Upon jumping off the boat, the ocean reared up, greeting Moana. Keoni was taken aback by this. He walked up to Moana's side filled with curiosity.

"The ocean's alive?" He asked, gaping. Moana smiled, more than happy to introduce her friends to each other. The ocean "looked" at Keoni before dousing him with ocean water, making Moana laugh.

"It likes you!" Keoni had to smile awkwardly as he flung water off of him.

"Haha, glad it does." Maui approached them.

"Mini Maui says that-" Keoni interrupted him

"I'm sorry, what's Mini Maui?" Maui gestured to the little tattoo version of himself on his body, who winked at Keoni. Keoni blinked in awe and disbelief.

"Whoa whoa wait, so the ocean and Maui's tattoos are alive?" Moana nodded.

"Yeah, basically! Pretty cool huh?" Keoni didn't know what to say.

"So what were you saying, Maui?"

"What I was saying was that Mini Maui tells me we should be careful on this island, there're legends of a Taniwha that lives here." Moana rolled her eyes.

"Please, Taniwha's are just stories, they aren't real." Maui gave her a look.

"You thought I was just a story, yet here I am!" Keoni rolled his eyes at that. But he agreed with Moana, he'd heard stories about the legendary, fearsome Taniwah. A giant creature that lived in dark caves and/or near dangerous currents, it could look like either a whale or a shark, or even a gecko, with spines on its back. A creature not to be trifled with.

"Yeah, the same story that caused Te Ka." There was an awkward silence as Moana and Maui just processed the sass coming from Keoni. Maui just stood there before mumbling.

"Touche."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey y'all, I would really really appreciate it if y'all could leave reviews! I want to know if this is so far better than the original version I wrote back in 2016. Your feedback means a lot! If there is anything you might like to see happen later in the story, please don't be shy!**

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"We should still explore this place, it's not that big, we could check out the caves!" Moana suggested, eager to explore and learn.

"Nuh uh, we should stay on the beach, away from the caves." Maui insisted.

"Scared of the Taniwha?" Moana teased.

"No! Just, cautious."

"Mhm." Moana walked off to explore the island despite Maui's warning. Maui just groaned.

"Curly never listens." The demigod mumbled to himself, and Keoni wondered whether he should stay or follow. He glanced around the beach, there was nothing of much interest, unless you counted the grumpy Demigod. After taking it into consideration, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to check out the place while they were here.

"Hey Moana!" Keoni called out, running after her. He kept his club with him in case there were any wild animals. She turned when she heard her name and grinned.

"Would you consider yourself the curious type?" Moana asked as she carefully stepped into one of the caves, ducking low due to the low ceiling, holding a newly lit torch in front of her.

Keoni wasn't sure, "I dunno, I never really took any opportunities to explore unless necessary."

"Did you ever go past your village while you still lived there?"

"Nope. My mom used to warn my sister and I to never go into the woods by ourselves. She was a pretty protective mother. But she had a good reason to be, after my father died, she just wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to us." Moana frowned.

"How are you handling being so far away from your home?" Moana asked this out of concern, considering all he'd been through, she didn't want to push him too much.

"I'm more consciously aware." He replied honestly, "I've always been pretty aware of my surroundings, but, even though I'm no longer by myself anymore, I still feel the need to be focused on what's going on around me."

"I get it…" Moana trailed off when she noticed something on the wall illuminated by her torch. Ancient carvings… and the stretched the length of the cave, however deep it went. Moana shared a look with Keoni.

"Someone definitely lived here." He remarked.

"A long time ago…" Excitedly, Moana ran ahead to see how far the carvings went, to the point where Keoni couldn't see her torch anymore, he began to freak out a little bit but attempted to keep his cool as he ran after her.

"Moana? Moana!" He called out, he heard noises, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. But he cautiously went further into the cave, and began to hear the noise again, but louder, it was the sound of water! He followed it and the cave led to a huge opening. Upon walking in he got a whiff of the sea air, then something more foul.

"KEONI!" He jumped hearing Moana call his name and frantically scanned the room searching for her. He saw her scramble out of the water onto an isolated rock in the middle of the pool. The rock was slippery and she couldn't maintain her balance. In the water, was a horrifying eel-like creature furiously circled the rock, rearing its head several times, waiting for the right time to strike.

Keoni had to act quick. He looked around for a way to distract the Taniwha and then get Moana out of there, but he didn't have many options.

"Keoni! Your club! Use it!" Moana exclaimed. He looked at his waist where his club was tied. With a sigh, he untied it and using all his strength, launched it at the Taniwha's head, striking it in the eye. It roared in pain and thrashed around in the water. With it distracted, Keoni then gestured for Moana to act quick, jump into the water and swim like hell to get to the other side. Keoni reached his arm out for her to grab.

"I almost got you!" Keoni shouted over the sound of the Taniwha roaring and the splashing of water. One final stretch and he grabbed her hand.

"Yes!" But before Keoni could pull her up, he lost his footing and fell into the water. The Taniwha had dislodged Keoni's club from its eye and surged in their direction.

"DUCK!" Moana shouted as she dove under, Keoni following suit. The pair frantically searched for a way out and Keoni spied his club and turned to go for it, but Moana shook her head no, already knowing that would likely kill him. She pulled him to the surface.

"Keoni don't! If you go for it, the Taniwha will kill you!"

"I'll die defending myself!" Moana looked at Keoni in the eye and sighed.

"Keoni, look-"

_ K._

In the blink of an eye, Moana watched in horror as Keoni was violently smacked by the Taniwha's tail into the wall of the natural pool. She heard an ugly crack and soon blood filled the water. Moana began to panic now.

"Oh no no no no no... KEONI!" She screamed as loudly as her lungs could bear as she dove to rescue him. She pulled him up, and saw Maui leaning over the edge.

"MAUI!" The demigod picked the two of them out and Moana was already trying to frantically stand. Maui grabbed her shoulder.

"Kid! Calm down!" She pulled away and pointed to the cave which she and Keoni came through.

"Take Keoni! We have to get out of here!"

"What happened?!"

"The Taniwha hit him! I don't know what his injuries are but we need to leave now!" Maui didn't need any more instruction. He picked up the young adult and the pair sprinted out of the cave to the beach as fast as their legs could carry them.


	7. Chapter 7

As soon as the chief and demigod caught their breath, they immediately shifted their attention to Keoni, who was still unconscious.

Moana checked he was still breathing, but it was ragged. It wasn't until she checked his back that she realized why.

He had a huge gash down his left shoulder. It was deep enough that she could see muscle and some bone splinters.

"Maui… What do we do?" Moana had no idea how to treat an injury as severe as this, her medical knowledge was fairly limited. Maui took a look and thought for a moment.

"All we can do is treat it the best we can and stitch it up, and then create a sling to support his arm, and maybe use some splints for the shoulder." It seemed like the healthiest option. While Keoni was still out, the two got to work as quickly as possible. But the second Moana pricked Keoni's back with the needle, he jerked awake, crying out in pain.

"Keoni! Easy, breathe slowly." Moana said gently, helping him lie back down. Maui gave him a cloth to bite down on while Moana stitched up his wound.

Quite some time passed, well into the night, with a fire going, Mona finished stitching up and dressing Keoni's wound. He'd passed out from the pain again, and Moana checked his breathing, just to make sure he was still alive, and thankfully he was.

"I'm sorry, Maui, I should've listened. Keoni wouldn't have gotten hurt had I just listened." Maui shrugged.

"I should be used to you being you. It wasn't your fault at all. Taniwha's are just violent jerks and they'll take it out on anyone. Don't beat yourself up about it. Take pride in the fact that you saved his life." Moana sighed and brought her knees to her chest. Both she and Keoni could've died… Not that she almost hadn't died plenty of times before.

The next morning, Moana gently woke up Keoni, who was incredibly dizzy and lightheaded.

"Easy, don't make sudden movements." She said.

"I can't believe I'm still alive." He mumbled. Moana moved to take a look at how the wound held up during the night. Stitches were still in place. She took some on hand medicine she always carried with her on voyages and delicately applied it to the wound and rebandaged it, using leaves under the tapa sling itself.

"We're both very lucky." She remarked. It seemed they'd be here for a while, so they ought to get comfortable, at least until Keoni could stand on his own without feeling dizzy or nauseous.

"When we eventually finish this mission and bring him back to Motunui, I'll have a physician check on the injury," Moana told Maui later in the day.

"Acting very chiefly!" Maui commented. Moana rolled her eyes.

"I'm simply caring for his health. I'm going to keep an eye on him, hopefully, he doesn't get a fever or anything."

"Agreed. Meanwhile, you need to get some sleep."

"Yeah… I'll still keep an eye on him." Maui nodded and walked a bit to find a place to rest, leaving Moana to her own thoughts as she began to fall asleep. She hoped that Fetia had a plan in mind for how she wanted Moana to carry out this mission. Moana hated not having a plan in mind.

Moana peeled her eyes open to the sound of waves lapping on the shore. She sat up and noticed that it was well into the morning, dawn had come no less than two hours ago. She glanced over to her right where Keoni was still asleep.

She didn't want to wake him up, but they needed to get moving soon, they couldn't stay on this island forever. Moana gently nudged him awake, he groaned and opened his eyes, giving her a feeble smile. She helped him sit up.

"How're you feeling?" He glanced at the sling, contemplating whether it was worth testing the pain or not. He chose not to.

"My entire left arm feels like it's not there." He lightly flicked his arm. He didn't feel pain, but he felt the tingling. Moana inspected the sling and the stitches to make sure everything was in place.

"It's going to take quite a while to heal, but as long as you don't do anything reckless or move it too much, hopefully, it should heal within a month or two. We can have a physician back on Motunui take a look at it."

"We're going to make things right for you, I'll make sure of it." He smiled awkwardly.

"You know you don't have to do that."

"I know, but considering all you've been through, let me do some of the heavy lifting." She helped him stand and he brushed sand off his tunic.

"Fair enough."

"Maui! Help me pack up, we're heading out again!"

"Right behind you, Curly!"

As they sailed, Keoni leaned against the mast and watched the ocean around him, taking it all in. He began to imagine his ancestors sailing the high seas, building connections everywhere they went. It was a beautiful thought…

"Whatcha thinking about?" Moana asked from behind him.

"Oh, uh, just about our ancestors, respectively. What it must've been like to sail the ocean for months at a time… not see land… build that connection with the ocean, y'know?" Moana smiled.

"It's a good feeling isn't it?" She gestured for him to sit and he did so.

"Yeah, it is… I wonder if our ancestors were part of the same village once…" Moana chuckled.

"It's always possible." Together, the pair discussed their ancestors more, their villages, their families, bonding.

"What did your mother ever say of your father?" Moana asked him. Keoni sighed.

"I don't remember much, but they were very much in love with one another. Grew up together, all that. My father was a bit hesitant about the whole concept of being a parent, but my mother helped him recognize he would be alright. And from what my sister would tell me growing up, he was a really great father." Moana smiled, and Keoni continued, "Mom used to say I was my father's spitting image."

"Is that right?" Keoni nodded.

"Your father must've been a looker then." Moana mentally slapped herself. What was that? Gods that was stupid. Keoni didn't seem to notice her reaction to her own comment.

"According to mom, he had lots of admirers as a teenager. He only had eyes for my mother, though."

"Aww, that's so sweet!"

"Mom was the best. Even after dad died… she remained true to her spirit. She didn't let my father's death impact how she viewed him."

"Why do you say that?" Keoni sighed, resting his arm in the crook of his sling.

"Well… there were rumors that dad was lured away from mom in the months prior to when he died. He'd be gone for long periods of time, none of it was ever proven though." Moana was taken aback by this.

"I find that unbelievable."

"I do too, so did my sister."

"What's your sister like? I imagine like your mother?"

"Heh, yeah, a lot like mom. She's a bit pushy though. But that's what comes with an older sister." Moana shook her head. She couldn't imagine what it would be like being the younger sibling.

"I would accurately guess you liked to annoy your sister?" Keoni laughed.

"What little brother doesn't?" He paused and looked over at her.

"You don't have any siblings?" Moana shook her head and shrugged.

"Nope. I'm an only child."

"Does that ever get lonely?"

"Honestly… not really. I have cousins from my mother's side and father's side. I kinda see them as surrogate siblings."

"Are you close with any of them?"

"Actually yes, my cousin Pania. Since I was crowned chief, she's been by my side, my second in command, ever since we were very little. She's the best. I think you'd like her!" Keoni smiled, if her cousin was anything like Moana, he didn't have any doubt he'd get along just fine.


	8. Chapter 8

If there was one thing Keoni hated about himself, was that he thought too much about what he could've changed in the past to make his present better. He would often find himself reflecting on what happened to his family, and how he just wished his father was still alive. Based on what he remembered of his mother telling him, his father was great at giving advice.

"Dad, if you're listening… please just give me some sign that mom and Huihana are okay…" Keoni whispered under his breath one evening. He stared at his reflection in the water, watching the ripples warp his face. He let his toes skim the water's surface while also trying to not strain his arm.

"Keoni?" He heard Moana's voice from behind interrupt his train of thought, "are you alright?" He blinked and turned to her.

"Wha-? Oh, yeah, I'm alright… just, thinking."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He sighed heavily.

"Does your grandmother ever come visit your in spirit often?" Moana hid her surprise from his question, she nodded.

"Of course. She comes to offer advice. Why do you ask?"

"Mom, mom used to tell me my father was great at advice and he knew how to put his thoughts into words… and I'm in need of his guidance, a sign that my mother and sister are okay. That they're somewhere safe." Moana smiled sympathetically.

"Spirits come at unexpected times, from what I've learned. They have a weird thing with timing." Moana got up from her spot in directing the canoe to sit by him.

"Is there something else bothering you?"

"I just-" Keoni paused, unsure of how to say it, "how do I know I'm going the right way? I've never felt certain about much in my life, and I'm starting to feel that notion that I'll never know what I'm doing is right for me." There was a pause as they both processed Keoni's words.

"It will come, and who knows? Maybe it's already here, and… you just haven't felt it kick in yet. Instinct is a weird thing. Have you ever done anything to comfort your thoughts?" Keoni looked up at the night sky, smiling as he watched the stars twinkle down on them.

"I always looked at the stars… there's just something, oddly comforting about them." Moana nodded, leaning back.

"They are magical, and mysterious, and they do help to guide you. Just study the stars long enough, and you'll see something there." As she said this, Moana watched Keoni. She could feel something click inside her, she felt a new kind of bond with him, a bond she hadn't felt with any other young man she'd met.

As cliche as it was, Keoni was different. He presented something different that Moana hadn't seen before; an honest, deep, emotional side.

To be fair, she wasn't entirely certain whether this was attributed to his trauma, or he was really naturally like this. Regardless, the fact she could have conversations like this with him, she found quite attractive.

But she didn't think now was the right time to tell him these kinds of thoughts. She believed all of that would depend on how their journey together came to an end, and whether that would be a happy ending.

"Did your chief ever talk about wayfinding?" Moana blurted out, wanting to change the topic just a little bit. Keoni was a bit taken aback but chuckled softly.

"A little. He would casually mention it from time to time. But he didn't recommend anyone do it unless absolutely necessary. And when our village was forced to leave, we were leaving with limited knowledge of how to navigate the stars and the sea." Moana stood to get her oar.

"Well, since you're here with me, and we're on our way to find your family, how about I teach you wayfinding?" She playfully twirled her oar in her hand, trying to impress him and get his interest, "That way you have something to show off to your mom and sister when you see them again." She grinned playfully at him. He blinked, considered it, and then stood.

"I think that sounds great! Besides impressing my sister, it'd be a good life skill to have, since you basically kickstarted it again." Moana laughed and bowed.

And so Moana started off with the basics that Maui taught her. From learning what worked what on the canoe, to the viewing positions, and Keoni was an impressively fast learner, just like her.

"You're a natural at this, you know that?" Moana remarked as she watched Keoni work the ropes with one hand. He beamed at her, "even more impressive that you're able to do it with one hand."

"Hey, gotta work with what I have, right?"

Days passed, and while wayfinding, the two got to know each other even more, going deeper into their personal lives and the like. Keoni felt like he was soaring, he had a best friend again after all this time, who he felt that he could trust with his life, not to mention she was also a chief, so he an incredible respect for her and her position. She was a natural leader.

Teaching him how to measure the stars became a way for the two to get physically closer, which neither minded.

The stars and the sea were very happy.


	9. Chapter 9

The stars and the sea were indeed very happy with the bond growing stronger between the two every day. There was definitely something there.

Moana couldn't help but notice that stars were still disappearing though, and she wasn't sure whether Keoni was aware of this. And weirdly enough, she began to notice something strange in the horizon every night.

With every cluster of stars that would disappear, she noticed there was something being created. A constellation. A constellation of a star. Probably the strangest thing she'd seen in a while. It seemed a bit unconventional that there would be a constellation of a star…

Unless it was a sign. She hadn't had any new dreams from Fetia in a few days, so, if this was a

sign, perhaps this signaled a new part of her journey with Keoni? Man, this goddess was dragging this journey longer and longer, there had to be a point to this. Moana had to go back home eventually, she couldn't be on the seas forever.

"Moana? You okay?" Moana had been focused on the horizon for so long, her vision had gone out of focus. Upon hearing Keoni's voice, she rubbed her eyes and walked over to him

"I've been in thought."

"About?"

"Have you noticed anything strange about the stars lately?" He paused for a moment, then

craned his neck up to look.

"Umm… it seems a little dimmer than usual?" He replied, shrugging his good shoulder, "why? Is there something wrong?"

"Yes, and I'm not sure how it's connected."

"What are you talking about?"

"I haven't gotten any new dreams from Fetia for our journey, and I noticed that there's been a disappearance of stars, and as a result, there's a constellation forming."

"Constellation of what?"

"Call me crazy, but it's a constellation of a star." Keoni looked at her incredulously.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. I am serious. I'm beginning to think that Fetia has a new part of this journey in mind and

is sending a new type of sign."

"Well, she is the goddess of stars. So there's a reason behind it. We just need to figure out what

that is-" Keoni trailed off when he noticed something in the distance, "uh, Moana?" She turned around to see a glowing blue figure swimming through the sea towards their canoe.

"What the-?" Keoni gaped. Moana expected it to be her grandmother's spirit animal form, a manta ray. But much to her surprise, it wasn't. It was a sea turtle. And a beautiful one at that. The pair watched in disbelief as the sea turtle swam in circles around the canoe before disappearing.

"You've grown up..." The pair turned around startled to see a glowing figure of a man leaning against the mast. He bore a strong resemblance to Keoni, with more solid features. Neither young adult knew what to say or how to react.

"Dad…?" Keoni gasped, his voice barely above a whisper. He felt his heart pounding, unsure of what to do, "is that you…?"

"You were only a baby, but you have your mother's eyes." The figure made its way towards them, and Moana was absolutely stunned. She would've expected her grandmother to come to them in their time of aid, but, this was a really nice surprise.

She watched as Keoni collapsed into his father's arms.

"How… did you find us?" Keoni asked.

"I've been by your side, longer than you may realize. I couldn't leave my only son behind." Keoni's father stood to look around.

"You've both come a long way, haven't you?" Moana nodded, still in awe. The father turned around and smiled.

"I'm Lawai'a, by the way." Moana bowed her head in respect.

"Chief Moana of Motunui. It's a pleasure to meet you. Keoni has told me nothing but good things about you, and your family." Lawai'a looked over at his son with a supportive smile, and Keoni just shrugged.

"Why are you so far from home?" Lawai'a asked.

"Well… I was sent on a journey by the goddess of the stars, Fetia, to reunite Keoni's family." Lawai'a looked surprised at this.

"What?" Keoni asked.

"How are you sure your mother is still alive?"

"Benefit of the doubt? She and Huihana are strong, they'd be able to hold their own. I'm sure of it." Keoni replied. In all honesty, he was beginning to feel a twinge of doubt that he might not find his mother alive, his sister, yes, but mom? He didn't begin to think so anymore.

While his father and Moana excitedly talked with one another, Keoni stared into the endless sea, a little unsure of what to do.

Meanwhile, Moana was telling Lawai'a about herself, and what she'd been doing the past two years. Then, she looked over at Keoni with a smile, and said; "And, I'm going to teach your son how to be a wayfinder." Keoni turned around hearing Moana speak about him.

"Wait, you are?" Keoni asked, shocked. Lawai'a grinned, giving him two thumbs up. Moana chuckles and hands Keoni her oar.

"I'm one handed, how can I possibly wayfind with one hand?" Moana smiled.

"You can do this, make your mother proud, okay?" Keoni looked at the oar in his hand, flinching as he accidentally shifted his injured arm and feeling a pinch. He sighed, handing the oar back to her.

"I appreciate the confidence, but… I don't think I'm of much use in terms of learning how to wayfind." Moana blinked.

"Keoni-" Lawai'a stopped her.

"Let him be for now. He'll come around, he just has a lot on his mind." Moana felt bad for her friend… she realized she had never taken into full account of what Keoni had been through. She looked at Lawai'a and thought for a moment of what she could do. Eventually she decided she'd give Keoni some time to himself as she sent the boat forward.

They'd figure this out, and Moana would help Keoni once he was ready. She felt that there was more going on with him than he'd told her so far.


	10. Chapter 10

A day passed, Maui was still gone, probably wouldn't catch up for a couple more days, but that was okay. Moana figured that this would allow her to figure out the last of their journey. She'd nearly forgotten how much time had passed since she'd left Motunui.

She took a seat next to Keoni one afternoon, gently nudging his good shoulder.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" He gave her a meek smile.

"I'm alright, I guess."

"Anything in particular on your mind?" Keoni sighed.

"You got me there."

"I just know these things. Talk to me, I'm here to listen."

"Trying to be a good chief?"

"Yes, but I want to listen as a friend, not as a chief. I want you to see me as your friend, not someone of authority, okay?" Keoni looked at her in surprise.

"Really?" Moana nodded, "alright… well, I'll be honest, I can't stop thinking about the people I was closest with back home. All my best friends…" Keoni hesitated before admitting, " my former crush. I just wish I knew what happened to them, and where they are… It's painful to be reminded that you're left behind, with no clue of where you're going to end up in life, and if your future is a comfortable one." Moana nodded.

"I can't imagine… If you don't mind me asking, what was your former crush like? What can you tell me about her?" Keoni rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I uh-... heh, her name was Maruata. She uh, she was so much fun to be around when we were kids. She liked taking charge, she knew what she liked, and she was incredibly confident in herself. She was everyone's friend." He sighed, and Moana wasn't sure if it was in longing, or regret, or something else.

"If… you had control of what happened to your people, would you have chosen to be with her romantically?" Moana asked with a lot of uncertainty in her voice. Keoni glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Honestly, probably not. Some childhood crushes should stay in your childhood." Moana was pleasantly surprised by this answer. She wasn't sure if she should be honest with him about her feelings for him yet…

Over the past few days, Moana had been feeling something new. A certain type of excitement she hadn't felt before. She liked him, and she was beginning to like him more than a friend. She hadn't felt this type of eagerness like with the sons of chiefs on other islands that she'd met.

Keoni was different. He presented something different to her. Perhaps it was his gentler demeanor with that spark of determination. Whatever it was about him, Moana was beginning to fall for it, and frankly, she was okay with it. But she was going to wait until she was confident that Keoni wouldn't totally freak out about it.

The two were broken out of their conversation hearing a cry in the distance. Looking up, they saw Maui in his giant hawk form approach.

"Maui!" Moana called out, waving her arm up. The demi god landed.

"I have some news guys." The young adults blinked.

"What kind of news?"

"I know where you're heading, and I'm getting you there."

"Hold on, what?" Keoni replied, "How do you know?"

"Because I do. Saddle up kids." Maui directed the wind to push the canoe forward, the fastest its ever gone.

"Maui? Aren't you going to tell us what this place is?" Moana asked. But Maui didn't reply, he did keep glancing at Keoni though for some reason, something both Keoni and Moana noticed.

"Why does he keep looking at me?" Keoni asked. Moana shrugged.

"I have no idea. Maui does have his reasons. I'm sure it'll be clarified." As Maui navigated the boat, Moana and Keoni watched as the sky soon turned into dusk. And they both took notice that even more stars were gone. But now, the star constellation was very prominent, practically glowing.

"What is that?" Keoni asked, looking back to Maui.

"Where you're supposed to go." The demi god replied. That felt very ominous and Keoni didn't like that.

Soon, a new glow appeared on the horizon. A very bright white glow, and as the canoe approached, Moana and Keoni noticed that it was an island. A glowing island. The sand looked to be made of the stars themselves. Maui docked the boat.

"What on earth?" Moana whispered, feeling the star sand on her fingers. It was softer than any sand she'd felt before. Soft, and still warm from daylight. She stepped off her canoe to look around. The sand was indeed glowing, and it cast a gentle, cool light on her and Keoni.

The whole thing was a sight to behold. Neither had seen anything like it before. Keoni couldn't help but notice how… beautiful Moana looked, doused with starlight like that. He came to her side, unsure of what was going on.

"What is this place?" Keoni asked, mostly directed towards Maui. Suddenly, Lawai'a materialized with them.

"Oh my gods…"

"Lawai'a? You know this place?" Moana asked.

"Yes…" Then another figure began to appear ahead of them. When the glow of the figure dimmed, they could all see it was a feminine figure.

"Fetia?" Moana said with a smile. The goddess opened her bright white eyes, smiling back at the young chieftess.

"Yes, I am Fetia." Moana wasn't actually expecting the goddess to speak, since Te Fiti didn't, but it was a pleasant surprise. Fetia's tattoos were white, contrasting against her dark skin. The goddess took note of Keoni and Lawai'a's shocked expressions.

"T'ali'au…?" Lawai'a choked out. Fetia smiled sadly at them, knowing who they were. Moana and Maui were rightfully confused.

Fetia made her way towards Keoni first. Keoni was clearly on the verge of tears. It was his mother… He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Mom…" He whispered, falling into her arms. Fetia hugged him back tightly, gently stroking his hair. Moana made the connection and gasped softly, putting her hands to her mouth.

Now she knew. She was sent to reunite Keoni with his family, to gain closure. By his own mother. She watched as Fetia, Lawai'a, and Keoni shared a family hug. For the first time.

"Where's Huihana?" Keoni then asked.

"She took it upon herself to find you. She's safe."

"Where is she?" Moana asked.

"She found her way to Motunui while you've been gone. I directed her there."

"So, you sent all of us on a journey to-" Maui began.

"When Lawai'a died, I knew my family was going to struggle finding closure. I died three years ago, but the gods… they gave me a second chance, and they gave me charge in figuring out the paths for those who sought guidance. And my first choice was with my family. I couldn't bear to watch any of you be alone. So, I knew of one person who was more familiar with that than anyone else, and sent her to find all of you, to bring you all together again."

Moana was incredibly honored. She looked at Keoni, who was still stunned from this revelation.

That was when Lawai'a, Fetia, and Maui picked up on the connection between the young adults. Fetia smiled, already knowing exactly how things would play out.

"The stars are leaning in their favor together." Lawai'a chuckled. Even in divinity, T'ali'au hadn't changed. He wasn't sure how to address her though.

"To you, I'm T'ali'au." Fetia smiled at her former husband, "And I want you to watch over our son and daughter." Lawai'a nodded.

"Of course, I wouldn't wish it any other way." He glanced over at Moana and Keoni talking quietly to each other, "Will they have a future together?"

"Absolutely. However, I won't share what I know, otherwise it won't happen. Time is a strange thing."

"Agreed." Fetia glanced up over at Maui.

"And I assume you'll be involved in their lives?" Maui shrugged.

"I'm the best friend, I'm involved however the chief wants me to be." After another moment or two of them talking and getting things cleared up, Fetia sent them on their way, but not before secretly giving her son a blessing. She knew Moana would be her daughter in law, and she only wanted the best for them both.

"Say hello to your sister for me." Fetia said, forming a ball of glowing stars, showing Keoni a vision of where his sister was. Keoni nodded and gave his mother one last hug before leaving. Even though his family wouldn't ever be truly whole again, at least he could die with the comfort of knowing his parents were watching over him.


	11. Chapter 11

n having a newfound confidence in himself, Keoni felt that he was comfortable enough for Moana to teach him wayfinding. Moana playfully expected Maui to offer, but he said he was curious to see Moana being the teacher this time.

Wayfinding ended up going very well, it allowed Moana and Keoni to become even closer, and they became more personal with each other, sharing little touches here and there. Lawai'a was of course on board with this, and Maui just watched in amusement. He naturally wanted Moana to be happy, and would support whatever decision she made in terms of romance.

Both Moana and Keoni began to think about how they were going to tell the other how much they liked each other. It was so obvious but neither knew how to express their feelings.

Days passed, and much like Moana, Keoni picked up on the skills pretty quickly, something that Moana became very proud of.

"You're looking to be just as good as me!" Moana exclaimed proudly. She high fived him.

"Alright you two, get ready, we're approaching Motunui now." Maui said. Moana perked up excitedly. She was finally home!

"You're gonna love it here, and we'll help you with whatever you need." Moana told Keoni.

"Thank you, Moana." As the canoe approached the island, Moana spied a crowd growing on shore. And at front, she could see her parents, and the rest of her family. She practically jumped off the boat into her parents arms, hugging them tightly.

"We're so glad you're finally home." Her mother whispered. Moana nodded, pulling away.

"I have someone I want you to meet." Moana helped Keoni down from the canoe and he walked over with her.

"This is Keoni." Tui and Sina smiled and then their eyes went wide.

"Is everything okay?" Moana asked. Sina looked behind her and gestured for a young woman to come forward. Moana noticed certain attributes the woman shared with Keoni: Same hair, nose, and eyes…

"Huihana…?!" Keoni exclaimed. The woman's jaw dropped and she practically tackled Keoni into the sand.

"Oh my gods YOU'RE ALIVE!" Huihana exclaimed, hugging her little brother tightly, actually picking him up, causing him to cry out in pain due to her squeezing his injured shoulder. She put him down and immediately inspected him.

"What on earth happened to you?"

"Taniwha." Keoni replied simply. "Smacked me into a rock wall, broke my shoulder." Huihana turned over to the chiefs.

"Healer, immediately." She said, Sina nodded and let the pair into the village, which dispersed. Moana caught up with Pania, who gave her a big hug.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Moana nodded.

"Me too! You wouldn't believe what I've seen."

"Tell us all about it at dinner."

The village healer inspected Keoni's injury. He was quite impressed with how well it was healing despite Moana's lack of medical knowledge. The wound started from at the top of Keoni's shoulder and went all the way down the blade, it was going to leave a massive scar.

"At least I'll be able to use my arm again." Keoni remarked. Huihana chuckled.

"I'm so glad you're alive." She said, hugging him again as they left. Keoni's wound redressed and his sling readjusted, "I already know we have a lot to talk about."

"For sure." In the early evening, Pania caught up to them, telling them they were invited to the chiefs fale for dinner. Something Keoni was surprised by, and he became incredibly nervous. He hoped he didn't have to do or say much. Huihana told him to relax and not overthink it, he wasn't going to have impress anybody.

It wasn't that he was worried about; it was being too awkward around Moana. He'd fallen hard for her and he didn't want her to know. Even though he knew that Moana wanted him to see her as his friend and not as his chief, it didn't mean Keoni was still concerned about weirding her out. He didn't know when he should confess about his crush on her. Gods, he was 18 years old, he needed to pull himself together.

Upon entering the fale, he saw Moana, her parents, and her cousin already sitting. He noticed Moana smiling at him, and he gave her a little wave. She invited him to actually sit next to her, and he could feel his heartrate going wild.

Unbeknownst to him, Moana was just as anxious about inviting him to sit next to her.

So they all talked. Moana and Keoni talked about their adventure, Moana talking about what it was like meeting Keoni for the first time. When she said he actually held his club to her face, everyone had the same expression of "oh my gods". Keoni was a bit embarrassed about that, he laughed nervously.

"Ehehe, she ended up saving my life though." He gave her a grateful smile, to which she returned.

"So, uh, what'd the healer say about your shoulder?" Moana asked, noticing his redone sling.

"Oh, he said you actually did a really good job of treating it and stitching it up." Moana beamed now at that compliment.

"Well, I couldn't just let you function with a bad arm." Keoni laughed.

"Very true." The two bantered most of dinner, and everyone could see how well they got along. It was quite entertaining.


	12. Chapter 12

**This is my fave chapter for obvious reasons 😉**

* * *

Only a few weeks followed since Moana's return to Motonui with Keoni in tow. She knew she had her chief duties to attend to, but she'd become attached to Keoni. She came to visit him and his sister just about every day to see how he was doing, a routine both looked forward to.

His shoulder blade still had a lot of healing to do, and despite being with his older sister now who could take care of him, Keoni allowed Moana to care for his wound. She was gentle with her touch, cleaning and dressing the deep cut. She did her best to help him remain comfortable, and she knew he appreciated it. She had gone to the village healer to learn how to treat his wound.

Huihana didn't mind at all, in fact she found their interactions incredibly sweet, and she loved seeing her brother so happy with someone. She hadn't seen him so happy in a very long time. Not since before their village's exodus. It was wonderful.

One day, Moana was once again visiting the brother and sister. She sat down next to Keoni, sitting closer than she usually did, and Keoni couldn't help but notice. The feeling of her hands on his shoulders and chest, it sent electricity through his body. He tried to hide his smile as she removed the bandage and the arm sling. She looked at the wound.

"It looks much better than it did a week ago." She remarked with a smile, "I think you can start taking off the sling every so often, so your arm and shoulder can regain its strength."

"That's good... My arm's getting sore from it." She chuckled.

"I can imagine." She took a wet cloth and wiped the wound. It was going to leave a scar, but it was healing, though they both already knew that. But now, she wanted to see how well he could move his arm without the sling.

"I'm going to take off the sling, and I'll help you rotate your arm." He nodded and helped her undo the sling. He stretched out his arm, flexing his fingers and wrist.

"How's it feel?"

"A little stiff, but better. Though," he attempted to raise his arm above his head, but he couldn't get it very high, "ugh… still hurts." Moana made a face, thinking.

"Well, let's practice moving it more and more every day, stretch out your… muscles." Moana didn't know why she hesitated saying muscles. Then again, she could never help staring at his chest and his arms. Even if he was still a little on the thin side, he had tone, he was getting stronger. She shook her head, hoping he didn't notice. She really hoped he didn't notice her slight gawking. What was up with her? She'd never been attracted to guys her age before, not while growing up.

"Hey, Moana? You okay?" His voice interrupted her little daydream and she blinked to refocus on him.

"Wha- oh, yeah yeah, I'm okay. I'm fine." She helped him put the sling back on. And as she reached across him to tie the knot, her hand slid across his heart, and she could feel it pounding. Absolutely pounding. And he wasn't making eye contact.

She felt her heart beginning to pound as well, and he turned to face her. The air was still, nothing but the sounds of nature and their hearts pounding filled their ears. Moana felt her face heat up when she realized they were both leaning in at the same time. Then, their lips met. It was feather light at first, then she went in closer, putting pressure on him. She heard him take a breath as he reached a hand to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer, his good hand resting on the small of her back.

She rested a hand on the crook of his neck, her other still resting on his chest, right over his heart. They both breathed softly and they opened their eyes, looking at each other.

They slowly pulled apart, still watching one another. Keoni twitched his bottom lip, his eyes moving from looking at her eyes to her lips.

Moana was stunned. She… they kissed! Her first kiss!

"Keoni… I…" His good hand still remained on the small of her back as they both realized what

just happened.

He shifted awkwardly, looking away, face deep red from embarrassment.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have…" He mumbled so quietly Moana almost didn't hear him. Moana turned him, head reeling.

"Oh, no Keoni… it- it was wonderful. I loved it." He turned to her again hearing her say that.

"Y-you did…?" She gave him an awkward half smile as she blushed again, confirming her answer. They both watched each other, anxiously awaiting to see who'd make the next move.

Feeling gutsy, Moana went to sit on his lap, twining her arms around his neck. He was frozen for a moment, but then he smiled softly, wrapping his good arm around her hip, and he rested his head against the crook of her neck. She kissed the top of his head, running a hand through his hair.

"You're perfect to me…" They whispered at the same time, making them both laugh.

They were happy where they were, and they shared another kiss, not caring if they were caught or not.


	13. Chapter 13

**Things are starting to get a little heated between Moana and Keoni! Future chapters will be exploring more of their personal relationship. Please don't forget to review!**

* * *

At first, Moana and Keoni kept their affection on the down low and only for personal times. In addition, Moana had been helping Keoni with his mental health. It'd taken a bit of a downward turn lately. He started having nightmares, though he did his best to hide it out of embarrassment. However, the people who he called family were no fools.

Moana, her parents, her cousin, and Huihana were doing whatever they could to help him get better,t so far, Moana and Huihana had the most positive impact. Their kind words reassured him, and it was how they said those words.

In this way, Huihana and Keoni rebuilt their sibling bond. In no time, they were back to their usual sibling banter. Moana was surprised at how good Keoni was at annoying the hell out of his sister. She couldn't help but comment on it to her mother, who had siblings of her own while they were walking around the village together.

"Is that what it's really like to have siblings? They annoy the crap out of you?" Sina laughed and nodded.

"Yes it is. They're annoyingly endearing." Moana snickered, "they have no issue fighting you, but at the same time, they're usually the first to get by your side when you need them."

"How come I don't have any siblings?" Moana asked.

"Well… your father and I absolutely wanted to give you a brother or sister, but… I was personally unable to bear anymore children after having you. It broke our hearts…" Moana gave her mother a sympathetic smile and hugged her tightly. "I hope for you that when you decide to have children, you aren't burdened with what I've been burdened with."

Moana hadn't even considered children recently. But, now that she and her mother had talked about siblings, it was now stuck in her mind.

Even while doing her chief duties, Moana would often be lost in thought. She wouldn't admit that it was mostly about Keoni, since she didn't really see him all that often during the day. But she did see him regularly at night.

The two started going into the now empty cave of ancestors to talk about their days and what they were thinking of.

Moana eventually told Keoni she'd been thinking about him regularly during the day. He found it incredibly flattering, and he told her he'd been thinking the same way.

"Y'know, thinking about you… it's been helping me when my mind isn't feeling the best." He said, thumbing around a rock in his hands, keeping his hands preoccupied. Moana blushed and played with her hair.

"That's so sweet, thank you." He looked at her, a loving look.

"I should be thanking you. If it wasn't for you, and for my mother, too, I wouldn't be here, I don't know if I wouldn't even be alive," he rubbed the back of his neck, "and I wouldn't have fallen in love with you either."

"You've been a blessing here too. I've heard the fishermen talk nothing but good things about you. You've given them a lot of tips, and believe it or not, they're incredibly thankful."

"Guess we have a lot to thank each other for, don't we?" Keoni chuckled. Moana nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, which had now completely healed and he no longer needed his sling. However, even though he could use his arm again, he wouldn't be able to raise up as high as he used to anymore. But, he was okay with that.

In response to her resting her head on his shoulder, he placed his hand on her thigh.

"This is probably a long shot, but… do you think there's a chance for us to… be together?" Keoni asked softly. Moana perked up in surprise.

"I- that's a heavy question. You know that would come with becoming chief too, right?" Keoni nodded.

"I've thought about that. But, you know, as long as you're there with me, I'm willing to learn." Moana blushed.

"That's… incredibly sweet of you." Moana pecked him on the cheek.

"I do try."

"Well, we ought to get back to the village, they'll be wondering where we are."

"Very true." Keoni stood up and offered his hand to her, which she gladly took. With a mischievous grin, Keoni pulled her right up against his chest, she blinked in surprise, but then she smiled, already figuring where this was going. He firmly pressed his lips against hers, sighing deeply. Moana pulled back ever so slightly.

"This is a side of you I haven't seen before." Keoni snickered.

"There's a lot you've yet to learn about me." Moana kissed his neck softly.

"I guess so."


	14. Chapter 14

With her son and daughter now having settled down and beginning to start new lives respectively, Fetia could now finally relax knowing her children were going to be alright. Huihana had fallen in love with a lovely young man named Emele and they were soon getting married. Moana and Keoni were in the process of getting their future together secured with the council. It wasn't an easy process but the two weren't giving up.

Fetia would try to visit her family every now and again, as she was always busy working out the stars to lay out someone's destiny and the like. She did talk to Maui regularly though, he was amusing to listen to.

However, the one person she really wanted to talk to for a little while was her late husband, Lawai'a. She still relived the day she was told he'd drowned at sea by accident. She was absolutely heartbroken, but she had aimed to be strong for her toddler daughter and infant son. She never remarried, as she could never find someone quite like Lawai'a.

As children, she and Lawai'a had grown up together. Though she would've never considered themselves childhood sweethearts, more like childhood friendly rivals. They used to try to one up each other all the time for the silliest of things.

But eventually as teenagers and young adults, they finally fell in love and started a life together. Having Huihana at the ages of 24 (Lawai'a) and 21 (Fetia). They loved their little girl, and Lawai'a was an incredibly doting father. Huihana was absolutely a daddy's girl. And then, roughly four years later, Keoni was born.

Lawai'a loved his son as well. But it was around the time that Keoni was born that the Darkness caused by Te Ka seriously started affecting the island. The fish were beginning to disappear on a more regular basis, forcing fishermen to go further out into the dangerous sea. Lawai'a being one of those brave fishermen willing to take a risk to help his village thrive as long as possible.

"You were always one to get lost in thought." Fetia turned to see Lawai'a manifesting behind her. He took a seat next to her on one of many cliffs overlooking the village of Motunui.

"You know me too well." She replied with a smile.

"Is everything alright?"

"Thinking about us… what we used to be. What we've lost." Lawai'a nodded sadly.

"We have been through a lot, but, we've bounced back. Look at our kids, they're settling down and starting new lives. And they knew we're watching over them." Fetia sighed.

"I know that, but… it's not the same with actually being involved in their lives as living beings. It's just not the same. And that can't be replaced." Lawai'a sighed too, he knew his wife was right. It wasn't the same, but Lawai's preferred to accept the fact that at least his kids knew he was there.

"Let's just take it one day at a time, alright?" He said, wrapping an arm around Fetia and kissing her forehead, "it's okay."

Meanwhile, Huihana had become focused on getting her new life in order. She'd fallen in love with a man named Emele, and the two immediately clicked. He loved listening to her stories, and overall loved her personality. In addition, Emele got "approval" from Keoni when the two were introduced.

In addition, Huihana had become close with Moana and her cousin, but particularly Moana. She saw the young chief as like a sister, and Huihana was secretly hoping, and betting, that the chief and her brother would end up together. Telling this to Emele got a chuckle in response in agreement.

"The two seem pretty tight. I can see it. But will the council allow it?"

"I can't see how they wouldn't." Huihana kissed Emele on the cheek, "just you see, it'll happen."

"I love your confidence." He remarked, taking her by the waist and spinning her around.

"Is that what you find attractive about me?" He kissed the corner of her mouth.

"There are many things about you that are attractive, but I would say your confidence is one of your best attributes. Hopefully our future children will inherit that." Huihana laughed.

"Already thinking about the future?"

"I always am."


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm hoping the next chapter I'll be able to get into Keoni and Moana officially as chiefs and getting ready to have their kids!**

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The future was indeed something to think about. It was scary, it was exciting, and it was full of potential.

Keoni and Pania were trying to calm down Emele as they waited outside while Huihana was giving birth. Huihana and Emele had been married for about a year now, and within that same timeframe, Huihana became pregnant. A midwife suspected the possibility of twins, something that was terrifying and exciting to the new parents.

Keoni was thrilled to have Emele as his brother in law, but he hadn't expected them to get started on having a family so quickly. Meanwhile, Keoni and Moana had just gotten their marriage approved by the council, and they were going to start preparing for the ceremony. As the marriage of a chief was drastically different than that to a commoners'.

"Emele, you're not helping yourself or Huihana by stressing this much," Pania exclaimed. Pania had become a great friend and support for Keoni. She admitted she found him very attractive, but she respected boundaries and knew Keoni was taken.

Maybe an hour or so later, Moana stepped out of the fale to assure Emele that Huihana was doing wonderful, and he could go see her. He didn't hesitate running up the steps and inside, Moana, Keoni, and Pania following.

"Was that suspicion correct?" Keoni asked as they walked up. Moana just smiled at him and parted back the curtains so he could see his sister.

"Ask her yourself." Keoni beamed seeing his sister propped up against her husband, both carrying a baby in their arms. Pania couldn't help but chuckle.

"Double whammy, nice." Keoni walked over to give his sister a tight hug.

"So, who's who?" He asked, looking at his nephews. It was then that it finally hit Keoni that he was an uncle at the age of 20. It was wild. Huihana gave him a small smile.

"Dad had a mole under his right eye and one on his right shoulder, this little one," Huihana gestured to the little boy in her arms, "is Amiri, he has the mole on his shoulder. And Rua has the one under his eye."

Amiri and Rua were identical twins, but it was the moles that helped distinguish them. Amiri was older than his brother by about ten minutes. Twins were rare, so the two were held in high regard.

Even though she wasn't yet married to him yet, Moana considered the twins as her nephews, loving them dearly, and the best part was, Huihana let her brother and Moana babysit, so Moana considered it getting experience in raising a child of her own someday.

After another long day of helping Huihana with the twins, Keoni and Moana went back to their private spot together to get some alone time and talk.

"Children are… exhausting." Keoni mumbled. Moana nodded.

"Well… it's worth it in the end because you love them. They're a part of you." Moana replied, leaning on him.

"Yeah, that's true. I wouldn't trade my nephews for anything in the world." Moana glanced over at him.

"Does it still feel weird to be an uncle?" He chuckled.

"It did at first when they were born, but now, I feel a sense of pride, knowing they'll call me uncle Keoni eventually." They both laughed.

"With the wedding coming up… you know we eventually have to think about having a family of our own, right?" Moana suddenly brought up. Keoni looked at her with surprise.

"I- yes. But I didn't think of you as the type to want a family so early?" Moana sighed.

"Honestly, me neither, but… it's been stuck in my head for a while. I eventually want to have kids of my own someday, after all, I have so much knowledge I want to pass on. And… I was talking to my mother about having kids and such. She and dad wanted to give me a brother or sister, but my mother is physically unable to have kids, and she told me she hoped I don't have to go through that." He smiled at her.

"All good mother's want what's best for their kids. Don't worry, we'll figure it out, but, after we get married, let's just give ourselves some time to grow little more. We're only 20." Moana sighed. She knew Keoni was right.

It was definitely unlike her to think about wanting to have kids, but after seeing how well Keoni interacted with his nephews, she couldn't stop thinking about Keoni as a father.

Now Keoni had some doubts about being a parent himself. Since he didn't really have a father figure in his early life, he didn't think he knew what it took to be one. Only recently did he start seeing paternal affection. Emele had proven to be a wonderful husband and father, and Tui himself was just a great man altogether.

When Keoni first settled down on Motunui, when he wasn't with Moana, he was with Tui and Sina. They saw him as a son they never had, and he received a lot of support from them. With their help, he and Huihana had a home again. Eventually, Huihana moved in with Emele, but even when she moved out, Tui and Sina were there to be with him while Moana did her duties as acting chief.

Keoni had told them all about himself and they all learned a great deal about each other, and naturally, Keoni held Tui in the highest regard and had a lot of respect for him.

"I suppose you're right. But… I want us both to be ready when the time comes." She said softly. Keoni smiled and pulled her close against him, kissing her on the forehead.

"Don't worry, we will be."


	16. Chapter 16

**Finally on a roll!**

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After going through months of trial and error and a lot of training, Tui himself said that Keoni was ready to be a chief. Tui had taken it upon himself to train his future son in law with what it took to be a chief of an ever-growing village. He knew Keoni had the potential to be an excellent chief, even if the young man still had doubts.

After a long day of going around the village, Tui and Keoni were atop the sacred mountain where the stone tower of chiefs was. They both overlooked the village.

"I assure you, Keoni, every chief in training has that doubt. When my father was guiding me, I too wasn't sure whether I was worthy of the title. After all these years, sometimes I question myself. But in the end, it's seeing the faces of happy and healthy villagers, and my family, that assures me that I'm doing just fine."

That was a good point. To see the people you love happy and proud of your work, it was absolutely a motivator.

"If I may ask, Tui. What was going through your head when Sina told you she was pregnant with Moana. How did you reassure yourself you were going to be a good father?" Tui sighed.

"To be honest, you're never 100% sure of yourself. Even though I had my father to guide me in Moana's first few months of life, I was still unsure. As she grew older, I still wondered whether I was as good a father as I had kept telling myself. The confidence comes and goes, and yes, it is scary, but as long as you know you have your family there, and the baby is happy and healthy, you're doing something right." Keoni sighed.

"My own father died when I was only a few months old. I know I have all of you as support, but what if I really will be a bad father?" Tui shook his head.

"I know you have a lot of doubts, Keoni, but I promise that you're going to do just fine. And you have Moana as support. Allow yourself to relax and let it come naturally."

Tui led Keoni back down to the village and bid him goodnight, leaving Keoni to ponder with Tui's words. Moana was already inside their fale preparing for bed, combing out her hair. She smiled seeing him enter.

"How'd your day with dad go?" She asked.

"It actually went pretty well. He left me with a few things to think about in terms of us."

"Oh? Like what?" Keoni hesitated for a moment.

"Fatherhood." Moana raised an eyebrow, "I asked him how I could ever be sure I will be a good dad one day, and he said to let it come naturally, and know that as long as you have a happy family, you're doing something right." Moana chuckled.

"Dad can offer good advice when needed."

"He's a good man, I have a lot of respect for him." He kissed her on the cheek, "So what'd you do today?"

"Helping your sister with the twins actually. They were asking where you were." Moana snickered.

"Those two have the most energy I've ever seen in a pair of toddlers." The two began to settle down for the night, and their conversation went from Keoni's nephews to the possibilities of them with children of their own someday.

"I'd love a little girl, to be honest," Keoni said with a smile, arms wrapped around Moana. She smiled back.

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, something about little girls is incredibly precious. I could see us with one or two." Moana smiled even more.

"I was thinking the same, but I'd love a little boy too. If anything, he'll be like you."

"You sure you want two of me?" Keoni laughed. Moana laughed with him and kissed his cheek.

"More of my love to go around."

"Well, if we're going to talk this much about having kids, let's hope the wedding comes sooner." Moana laughed even harder.

"I love the enthusiasm."

"Hey, means I get to be married to the coolest, bravest woman I know. I take that as a blessing." Moana turned around to face him and twined her arms around his neck.

"Good, because I am a blessing." Keoni shook his head with a grin and fervently kissed her on the lips, arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her tighter against him. In response, she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Ten years ago, if someone had told either of these two they'd be not just best friends, but eventually husband and wife, they would've thought you were insane. Especially Keoni, as he was pretty sure that he'd marry a fellow villager.

Every now and again, Keoni would think back to Maruata and wonder where she was and what she was doing in life. Did she get married? Maybe she had a kid or two? And he didn't just think about his former childhood crush, he thought about all of his best friends. People he was close with until he was 16.

Moana, on the other hand, had never been very sure she'd ever get married. All the boys she knew and grew up with had been friends, and she never saw herself in a romantic relationship with any of them. And when her village started voyaging again and traveling to other islands and meeting with chiefs, their sons weren't her type, and she didn't even know what her type was then.

But now, the two were absolutely confident they were right for each other.

Another month passed, and finally, their wedding was underway. Keoni was understandably a bit overwhelmed with the festivities and celebration. Every night they were celebrating, eating, drinking, dancing, playing music, the whole shebang.

Poor Keoni hadn't expected this level of response to Moana getting married. Speaking of, she was absolutely vibing with the energy of celebrating villagers. Gifts from her family were given to them, and the pair were led to the sacred Marae, where weddings and other sacred practices were held.

Maui had come to watch his best friend get married, he was beyond the moon happy for her, and he was impressed with how far Keoni had become.

During the couple of years of Keoni's integration into Motunui, Maui had been busy elsewhere, checking out new lands and meeting new people. He'd even found himself even farther north than he'd ever thought he'd go. There was a lot to the north, and he hoped that Moana would one day get back into voyaging and come with him to check it out.

Pania was given the honor of blowing the Pu, even though it was usually a man that blew it, Moana had insisted her cousin be given that honor, and Pania gladly took it. She would later say it was one of the best things she'd ever done. Moana and Keoni were dressed in white and given white leis and led into the Marae. There, the ceremony was performed, and the union was finalized.

It was exhausting, but it was so worth it. Keoni felt like he was flying. It was well past midnight when everything finally settled down and became quieter. The newly married couple made their way to the chiefs official fale while Tui and Sina relocated to the fale the two had formerly been in.

The two were far too exhausted to have intercourse, so they agreed to give it a little while to settle into their roles and routines.

Everything was good.


	17. Chapter 17

**Bit of a shorter chapter, didn't really want to focus on the sex 😅. Not always comfortable with writing that kinda stuff hheheh. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter anyway!**

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There were no objections to the new couple to take their time, especially for Keoni. He now had an official role, and his social status had just dramatically changed, so he needed just enough time to readjust, but he still had that eagerness to eventually start a family with Moana, but he didn't want to rush himself.

He surprised himself with how well he diffused disputes between villagers especially. There'd been several in which families were having a land dispute. Moana was impressed.

Keoni was also introduced to diplomacy and relations with other villages. He met other chiefs and was taught in depth about tribe relations and trade. He was learning even more than he did when he was training. But he grew accustomed to it, and he felt more comfortable knowing he was doing it alongside Moana.

About five and a half months after getting married, the chiefs finally sat down and seriously talked about having a baby soon.

"I know we've discussed it a lot of times before, but, having a baby is a serious responsibility,

we're both sure we're ready?" Moana asked Keoni, looking at him in the eye. Keoni nodded.

"I've given it thought, I promise I'm ready." Moana knew very well he was ready, but now Moana was feeling a pit of anxiety in her stomach. They were going to do a lot of intercourse if they wanted to successfully have a kid. But, they had each other, they were going to be fine, right?

Taking a deep breath, Moana undressed, leading Keoni to a more comfortable spot in their fale. She kissed him softly, and Keoni lightly ran his hand down her waist, trailing it to her bottom. He could feel his arousal growing, and he fondled himself through his tunic before Moana undid his belt and tunic for him.

The pair did a bit of foreplay before getting into the real deal. Moana actually was more anxious than Keoni was, but she pushed through her anxiety. And much to her surprise, Keoni did a wonderful job at making sure she was comfortable before he made his next move. He settled her on his lap, gently leaning her back so she could support herself.

"Are you alright?" He asked against her ear. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and nodded. She watched as he positioned himself, and slowly entered her. Because this was both their first times, they both wanted to be careful with each other.

Moana had been told about intercourse before, she knew how it worked, and she knew it was going to be a bit uncomfortable the first time, eventually, though, she knew the body would naturally relax and allow itself to enjoy the act.

Keoni's thrusting pace slowly increased, and for the both of them, what they were feeling was amazing, and the climaxing was naturally the best part.

"Oh Keoni…" She moaned softly, tilting her head back. Keoni kissed her neck in response. That alone told him she enjoyed it. With a few more kisses, they pulled apart and let the cool air of the night flow around their bodies.

"You were amazing." They said in unison, garnering a laugh from both of them. They clasped hands and Keoni kissed hers.

"You're absolutely stunning, you know that." Moana grinned and playfully tossed her hair, which was a bit damp from her sweat. She pulled a strand from her mouth and spit at it, making Keoni laugh again. He'd woken up some mornings with Moana's hair in his mouth, so it became a bit of a running joke between them.

"Of course I do." She grinned. Keoni loved her confidence, that was perhaps her best feature. After a few more kisses and laughs, they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	18. Chapter 18

At first, Moana was her usual cheerful, outgoing self, nothing seemed out of the ordinary for the first two weeks. But in the following three weeks, Moana began feeling a bit off. First, she noticed she was unusually dizzy and a bit lightheaded, then she noticed the discomfort in her lower back and her breasts. All in all, she was becoming moody due to all of these.

Huihana and Sina recognized those symptoms. Give it a couple more weeks and they'd know.

Poor Moana was outright miserable. She had more nausea than actual vomiting, but she wasn't sure if that was for better or for worse.

Two weeks later, Keoni had enough and told Moana to go see the physician, and he was mentally preparing himself for the diagnosis. And of course, Moana was confirmed to be two months pregnant. After the talks, and the patience, and the love between them, Moana and Keoni finally had a baby on the way, and Keoni was over the moon.

While Moana slept that night, Keoni went to the sacred mountain, hoping his mother would hear him. And sure enough, not only did she come, but so did his father and Tala, whom he hadn't seen in quite some time.

"Moana's pregnant!" He exclaimed the second all three of them came. Fetia gasped and pulled her son in for a tight hug, Lawai'a did the same, and Tala just smiled.

"Your child will have a lot to look forward to in life, and I know you and my granddaughter will be wonderful parents." Keoni chuckled.

"Thank you, Tala."

"Now go be with her, she'll need you more than ever," Lawai'a said gently giving his son a push. Keoni nodded and headed back down to the village, still absolutely beaming. To say Fetia, Lawai'a, and Tala were proud of Keoni and Moana was an understatement.

Keoni made his way back down to the village, holding his torch. He walked through his home, it was quiet, dark, and therefore peaceful. He couldn't be happier. He made his way into his fale, extinguishing the torch and getting into bed next to Moana, hoping he wouldn't wake her.

Moana did stir awake when he came in.

"Keoni…? She mumbled. Gods she sounded so cute when she was sleepy. Keoni kissed her cheek and then her lips as he settled down into bed next to her.

"Shh, go back to sleep." He whispered, pushing back a strand of her hair. She rubbed her eyes and rolled over to face him.

"Where were you?" She asked, cuddling against him, hand on her growing stomach.

"Talking to your grandmother and my parents, telling them the good news." She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Moana made a face.

"I just, Keoni… what if I'm not good enough to be a mother? I feel like… what if my impulsiveness puts the baby in danger somehow? Or what if the baby takes after me that way, I don't want to have you deal with that kind of stress."

"Hey, hey… don't worry about that. I know you, you'll do whatever you can for the baby. Yes, you are impulsive at times, but I can assure you, you're going to be just fine. And we have the rest of our family to help us. We're going to be okay, I assure you." He knew she was both genuinely feeling this way, but also because of the mood swings.

He kissed her again and waited until she fell asleep.

Moana actually had nothing to worry about in terms of her impulsiveness, as she became less and less so as her pregnancy progressed. She was calmer and more intuitive than Keoni had expected her to be. She had also decided to start wearing her hair in a braid now, and Keoni had no complaints of doing her hair every morning and night, if it helped her to relax, then how could he say no?

The best part was when Moana said she could finally feel the baby kicking. It was so surreal for Keoni knowing that a baby, a baby he helped create, was growing, it was moving, and it must be happy. The first time he felt a tiny foot hit his palm nearly had him burst into tears.

And Moana had the intuition that it had to be a girl. Because of this, the whole village became pretty convinced too.

Keoni really wanted a little girl. Another girl to cherish, and to definitely be a daddy's girl.

Moana had to laugh when Keoni told her this.

"You want a daddy's girl?" Keoni grinned.

"Yes. I know for a fact that my sister was, so… it would seem fitting that if we have a daughter, that she be a daddy's girl." Moana chuckled as she stretched but flinching upon feeling a strong kick.

"Ow, geez, they've got a strong kick." Moana looked down at her belly, rubbing the sore spot. "Man, if kicking for one baby hurts this much I can't imagine how sore your sisters body was after having twins." Keoni snickered.

"She said it felt exactly what you think it would feel being kicked by two pairs of feet." Then Keoni got an idea, "let's go to the shore, maybe wading around in the water will help you a little bit." Moana grinned.

"Thinking the same thing." With the sun setting, there'd be fewer villagers at shore, and the water would be cooler, and therefore more refreshing. Keoni sat down on the sand while Moana slowly waded into the water, and much to their delight, the ocean popped up to say hello.

"Ocean!" Moana exclaimed, giggling as the water circled around her. Even though Keoni was fully aware the ocean wouldn't harm his wife, he still kept an eye on her, watching with a smile. Suddenly the ocean came up to him, getting right in his face. He stared at it awkwardly.

"Uh, hey?" He looked at Moana who shrugged her shoulder.

"I guess it wants you to get in the water, too?" If that was the case; "Alright, I guess it couldn't hurt." Koeni never admitted it, but after nearly drowning, twice, first by a storm and then by a Taniwha, Keoni was always a little hesitant getting in large bodies of water. He came to Moana's side, placing his hand on her lower back, mostly to reassure himself he wasn't alone, after all, they were only waist deep.

The ocean looked at the couple, and nudged at Moana's growing belly.

"We're having a baby." She said with a smile. If the ocean had a face, it'd be absolutely beaming. In that moment, Moana sensed that the ocean pledged its protection on their unborn child.

After spending some time with their old friend, they walked back home and fell asleep. But Moana dreamt. It'd been years since she'd gotten a vision, and Moana knew that this wasn't a dream. She was being shown glimpses of the future.

She saw glimpses of the baby she was carrying; a beautiful little girl. She couldn't see her face, but Moana could sense that this daughter would take after her. And then, much to her surprise, there was another little girl, another daughter. She couldn't sense anything yet about her, all she could feel was that she was perhaps going to take after Keoni more.

The eldest would be strong-willed and have a taste for adventure. Moana saw little flashes of the daughter sailing, carrying on the tradition of wayfinding, taking her farther than even Moana herself had gone. Far, far to the north, where new opportunities unfolded. And as for the youngest, it was shown she would pick up in her mother's footsteps and become chief instead of the older sister.

Moana then even saw that Huihana would have a daughter of her own.

The visions stopped and turned into regular dreams. Moana was the first to wake for a change, and she took a few moments to process what'd been shown to her. It had to have been Fetia, since Fetia knew the futures of everyone, as they were written in the stars.


	19. Chapter 19

**The baby's finally here! The jokes I make at the end of this are the funniest jokes I've written and I'm very proud of them.**

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In the final weeks of Moana's pregnancy, everyone was preparing. Moana hadn't told anyone about the visions Fetia had given her, not even Keoni. Something told her that those visions were for her and her alone.

Huihana gave Moana genuinely helpful tips for labor and preparing for the baby. Meanwhile Pania had just learned she was pregnant, about a month in. She and her husband were ecstatic but they wanted to focus on helping her cousin first. Keoni knew there wasn't much for him to do other than be supportive and be ready for when the baby was born.

To the surprise of some, Keoni was considerably calm, he knew it was going to be fine, the gods wouldn't let Moana down in her time of need, especially in the case of childbirth.

Moana also refused to allow anyone to baby her. Yes, she was nine months pregnant and did need to take it easy, but she wasn't going to let anyone live her life as a chief, she wasn't going to put herself in any harm. And while Keoni knew that, he did remind Moana to relax and just take it easy a little bit, and she listened to him.

Huihana spent more time with her sister in law, mostly to give her advice, and to be supportive. And not to mention they hardly saw much of each other except at gatherings.

The two were walking towards the shore, just to watch the ocean for a little while. Huihana helped Moana take a seat, and once she sat down, Moana sighed.

"What's on your mind?" Huihana asked. Moana smiled a little.

"The baby, as per usual." Huihana chuckled.

"I was the same."

"What was Keoni like as a child? What do you remember of him then?" Moana inquired. She wanted to know, so she could see it when her daughter grew up.

"Oh, he was actually quite outgoing as a child. He had a lot of friends growing up, but he was still a little shy when it came to making them. He was very curious about the world beyond our village. And… mom used to say he reminded her of dad a lot." Moana raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yeah, my mother and father were childhood best friends and then fell in love. Their life was a little hectic, but they were in love."

"I can't imagine what your mom went through when your dad died." Moana said. She couldn't imagine losing Keoni for any reason.

"It was… very hard on our family. And Keoni was not even a year old when it happened, he has no memory of dad, and the memories I have are fuzzy at best. I was almost five when dad died."

"Did your mom ever express interest in finding someone new?"

"She tried, but… it was never the same. His death changed her, and I think that influenced Keoni as a child."

"That makes sense." Moana made a face upon feeling an unusually strong kick, "ow…"

"You okay?" Huihana asked. Moana made another face of discomfort and pressed her back.

"Yeah, just… really strong kick. I think this baby is getting close."

"Do you need someone?"

"No contractions. Yet." Huihana helped her stand, but in doing so, Moana froze. She felt something trickling down her inner thigh. Eyes wide and panicked, Moana checked herself.

"Oh gods." She whispered. And then she felt the first contraction, "Huihana…." She said. Huihana didn't need any further instruction. Supporting Moana, she led her through the village to the healers fale.

"It's time." She said. The healer nodded and the two women led Moana to the designated fale where wives of the chief or chieftess gave birth. The healer told Huihana to send for Sina, Pania, Huihana's mother in law, and to tell Tui to notify the village, and of course to tell Keoni.

After informing the women, Huihana actually found Keoni and Tui discussing something with a trio of villagers. Huihana skidded up to them and almost fell, Keoni catching his sister.

"Whoa whoa, sis, what's wrong?"

"Moana's water broke." Huihana said. She grabbed her brother's hand and led him to the fale. But he stopped once they reached it.

"Sis, I'm not allowed in there, remember?" Huihana gave him a look.

"Do you really think Moana is going to let that tradition stand?"

"I love Moana, but birth is something that I'm leaving to the women."

"Squeamish?"

"I'm just nervous and I don't think I'd handle myself well in there watching it happen." Huihana gave her brother a once over, and sighed. "But you be her support for me. She trusts you." Huihana had to smile.

"You know I will." The siblings hugged, "excited to meet your baby?"

"Yes, but terrified too. I just hope the gods are good to her." He looked up at the sky saying this.

"I know they will." With another hug, Huihana entered the fale where Sina was comforting Moana who was sitting on her knees and breathing. The healer, Pania, and another woman were preparing for the birth itself.

"What can I do?" Huihana was given the same instructions as Sina to be a support and help Moana breathe and relax. Huihana joined her side, and Moana looked up at her.

"Did you… tell… Keoni?" Huihana nodded.

"I did. He and your father are waiting outside." Sina smiled at her daughter, sharing hongi with her.

"He's just as ready for this baby as you are, you just have to bring this child into the world, are you ready?"

"Is any woman ever really ready?" Moana gasped out through another contraction, earning a chuckle from the women around her.

"Very true."

Outside, Keoni watched the sky. Any natural sign was a sign from the gods. As he waited, a villager ran up to him.

"Chief! I came to inform you there's a massive storm brewing over the horizon. We expect it to make landfall in a few hours!" Keoni paused to process it before thanking the villager. Tui noted the expression on Keoni's face.

"What's on your mind?"

"Back home… when our chief welcomed his son, he looked to the heavens for a sign, I don't remember much of what he said, as I was only 7, but he said that certain weather patterns often were a prelude to what the child would be like."

"What was the sign the chief got?"

"Sunshine, not a cloud in the sky for three days. That kid had the happiest disposition I'd seen in an heir."

"What would they say a heavy thunderstorm means?"

"Fierce and resilient, and headstrong." Tui chuckled.

"If anything, he or she will take after Moana, it seems." Keoni nodded.

"Gods help us both, it'll be a wild ride."

Back inside, the head had been delivered, and Moana was already exhausted. As were her feet, since she'd been in a squatting position for a considerable amount of time.

"Gods I need a break…" She said, rubbing her face and resting her head in the crook of her mother's shoulder.

"Shhh, shhh, the shoulders are the hardest part, and then it'll be smooth sailing from there." Sina said.

"It better be…" As she continued pushing, she felt the comforting presence of her grandmother, and another feminine presence. Tala's support was all Moana needed to find that bit of strength to push the rest of the baby out.

"You can do this." Tala said. Moana gave her a very subtle nod, and pushed as hard as she could, and felt the last come.

"It's a girl!" The midwife exclaimed. Sina burst into a huge smile and brought her daughter in for a huge hug.

"You did beautifully, my little minnow, you're a mother now." The afterbirth came and was cleaned up, and Sina helped her daughter lay down and let her body rest. Sina looked down at her daughter with pride and love, tearing up.

"Mom…" Moana whispered.

"I'm so incredibly proud of you… I told you you'd do wondrous things, and I was right, you brought a beautiful baby girl into this world." The two held hands and shared hongi. The midwife carefully passed Moana her newborn daughter, and Sina helped her cradle the newborn comfortably.

Sina looked down at her daughter and granddaughter, the latter who was wailing.

Huihana, Pania, and the healer and midwife all stepped back to let the three of them bond. Pania looked to Huihana and whispered.

"Can't believe my cousin is a mother now…" Huihana smiled.

"It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?" Pania rubbed her own growing belly and nodded.

After Sina helped Moana get comfortable holding her newborn, Moana looked up.

"Tell Keoni and my dad…" She said. Huihana looked to Pania who nodded. She pushed back the tapa curtain to see Keoni and Tui still waiting. Keoni looked up first and Pania gave him a huge smile.

"Come meet your daughter, chief." She said, gesturing for them to come inside. Keoni eagerly came up the steps and practically felt his heart melt seeing Moana cradling an infant in her arms. Their daughter, their child. Moana glanced up from cooing at the baby and gestured for Keoni to join her. He didn't hesitate. Tui joined Sina's side as they watched their daughter and son in law bond with their newborn. They had a granddaughter.

Huihana was absolutely beaming, she had a little niece now, a niece she was for sure going to spoil, and Pania was feeling the same.

Keoni marveled at the little girl Moana held in her arms. She had the tiniest hands, and her face scrunched up upon tasting her hands, making them chuckle.

"Yeah hands don't taste very good do they?" Keoni laughed. He looked at Moana, who was clearly exhausted. And Keoni couldn't help but crack a joke about something Moana said to him only four years ago.

"Done doing the heavy lifting for this one?" Moana glanced up at him, processed his joke, and then laughed.

"Yes. I am." No one bothered asking what the joke meant, as it was something meant for the couple only. After a few moments to bond with the baby, Moana asked an important question.

"What're we gonna name her?" Upon asking this, a strong gust of wind blew through the fale, ruffling the tapa curtains around. Keoni glanced over at Tui who nodded. The storm was making landfall.

"Well… how about Laeli?" He asked. Moana looked at him and snickered.

"You have a thing with timing don't you?" Keoni shrugged. Moana rolled her eyes. It was a fitting name, though, something told her that the breeze would turn into wind in no time.

"Laeli it is… Welcome to Motunui, Laeli."


	20. Chapter 20

**This is perhaps the sweetest chapter I've written**

* * *

Moana was absolutely out like a light after that extensive labor and birth. It had lasted a total of 6 hours and now the village was quiet and peaceful, save for the storm that still continued. In the chiefs fale, Keoni was busy being attentive with his newborn daughter, who was also sound asleep.

Huihana, her mother in law, Moana's cousin Pania, and Sina were all staying with the new parents for a few days until Moana had enough strength to resume her chief duties, but they would be assisting in her for the next month or so while her body recovered from pregnancy, in addition, that Moana was told she wouldn't be doing a whole lot for her first month post-partum.

Overall, fairly straightforward and easy to do, Keoni felt confident that he could do at least a decent job at parenting, even though he didn't know much in terms of fatherhood since he never had one himself.

While rocking Laeli in his arms and humming a lullaby that Sina taught him, he saw a luminous figure in the corner of his peripheral vision, he turned and smiled upon seeing his mother sitting next to a sleeping Moana. Mother and son smiled as Keoni took a seat next to her.

"Oh, ipo, she's precious..." Fetis gushed seeing her granddaughter for the first time, Keoni beamed.

"I can't believe I have a little girl now..." He whispered softly. He stroked Laeli's cheek, to which she moved her arm and scrunched up her face, yawning, and Fetia chuckled.

"She reminds me of when you and your sister were born... the most precious things." Keoni looked up.

"Did... dad think the same thing?" Fetia nodded.

"I absolutely did." Mother and son turned to see Lawai'a's spirit manifest. Lawai'a's gaze softened seeing his granddaughter for the first time as well, taking a seat next to his son and getting a good look at the newborn. Laeli peeled open her eyes and looked up at her father, gurgling in delight. Fetia looked down at her and asked, "Could I hold her?" Keoni nodded.

"Of course." He gently handed Laeli to his mother and she happily cradled her gently.

"She looks just like you." Fetia gushed. She nuzzled her nose against Laeli's, making the newborn giggle. Keoni smiled seeing his mother cradle his daughter, if cameras existed then, he would have taken a picture. "I imagine Moana is excited about motherhood?" Fetia asked softly. Keoni nodded happily. Lawai'a just watched happily.

"She is, she's stoked to teach her everything she knows."

"Ah, hoping this little one will be a voyager?" Lawai'a asked with amusement. Keoni nodded again, chuckling at the thought. He and Moana had discussed this several times during her pregnancy, he certainly wasn't opposed to it.

"Yeah, we both want her to follow in her ancestor's footsteps, someday at least. It's just a matter of when we decide to start teaching her those skills."

"That is a pretty big decision to make, but I know you both will do just fine, and you have Moana's family to help and guide you through parenthood. I can only provide so much to help you and your sister." Fetia was right, as a goddess, she could only provide enough guidance for those that looked up to her, there were limits on how much she could help, and it sometimes made her wish she could've just ended up as a spirit instead... but yet, she wouldn't trade her current position for anything else in the world, as long as she could watch over her daughter and son and watch them grow.

She would often think back to when her children were newborns and watching them grow up. She was watching her twin grandsons grow up, and now she had a little granddaughter to watch over, it was a treasure, and she could already sense that her granddaughter was going to be so much like her mother.

After a little longer, Fetia handed Laeli back to her father and said goodbye, leaving him to his thoughts. Lawai'a hung around for a little while longer, since he never got much time with his son, and he felt regret never being there for him.

"It's not something I talk about often, but regret is a very strong emotion, son. And my biggest regret was never being able to be a father to you and your sister, and being there for your mother..." Keoni shook his head.

"Dad... you didn't have control over the forces that took your life. The gods have a funny way of deciding fate..." Lawai'a gave a hesitant nod.

"Very true." He paused for a moment. "Even though I didn't get to be a father for you, I was there for your sister. And the one thing I took away as being a father, is that listening will be one of your best attributes, especially when they're toddlers. Toddlers have a lot to say and need ways to express themselves. Be there to listen, they have surprising things to say." Keoni chuckled.

"The friends of mine who have kids already, and Enele have said the same thing."

"And also, cherish your time with her..." Keoni nodded, feeling his father's pain. Having been taken away too soon was a lot, and Keoni knew he wanted to cherish every second he had with his daughter, and what good father wouldn't? After all, he did help make her. After a little while longer, Lawai'a eventually said goodbye and vanished into thin air, finally leaving Keoni alone with his daughter and his thoughts. He looked down at the little human in his arms.

"Those were your grandparents. My mom and dad. Your gramma is a goddess, goddess of the stars. She helped your mother and I find each other... if it wasn't for her, you wouldn't be here. And your grandfather is here in spirit, watching over all of us." Laeli yawned and sucked on her tiny hand, beginning to fall asleep.

"You'll have a lot of expectations on your shoulders once you grow up, but don't worry, we're going to be with you every step of the way. And I'll keep you safe..." With a yawn of his own, he delicately placed Laeli between him and Moana, who was still out like a light. Keoni looked at his two girls, he knew it would be a wild road ahead of them, but he was ready for anything, and he felt a new kind of confidence he didn't think he'd feel, and he knew what it was, and he welcomed it.


End file.
